I'm Stupid, I'm Overwhelmed, or Both

This is me.  While I'm attempting to cut up these big pieces of wood into little pieces of wood, what I'm really doing is contemplating throwing my computer under the spinning blade and roasting marshmallows over the ensuing barrage of sparks.  I have made the conscious decision to go all out promoting the on-line aspect of my business, http://nnlamps.com.  First of all, it seems like every site I use that relates to my business, like Facebook, and even this blogger site, are changing their layouts, profiles, or whatever name they give to the way you actually input to your page and the resulting look you get when you're done.  I find this colossally annoying because it takes soooooo much time to figure out how to use these sites all over again.  Seriously, am I just stupid?  It took me hours to add "social plug-ins" to my blog and my website.  And on my Facebook page,  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Natures-Nurture-Lamps/173645422688422, I've been trying to find where to put the links to my blog and website - and actually have people be able to find those links without searching for half the day.  What am I missing?  Maybe I should go to the dreaded "help" page.  But once again, that takes the one thing I just do not have enough of - time.  So, if I post using the "public" setting, what does that actually mean?  Does the whole planet see it?  Do they see it because it posts to everyone's wall?  That would be too easy.   I'm thinking it can be seen by everyone if they search for it, right?  If I post as Nature's Nurture Lamps, does the post get seen only by the tiny number of people who have "liked" me so far, or does the post also go out to all my friends on my personal page, too?

Should I even bring up the subject of SEO?  'Cause I'm thinking I'd rather poke something really sharp in my eye than tackle this monster.  I had to ask my son what SEO stood for, for Pete's sake!  (Search Engine Optimization.  Who knew?)  HTML, (or is it HMTL?), meta tags, keywords - seriously, people???  I do not have a degree in computer science, or computer technology, or computer anything.  I don't even know what kind of degree I would need to figure this stuff out.  Can't I just hire someone to do this crap for me?  Oh, wait, silly me.  That would entail using the second thing I have none of - money.

Branding.  Just the thought gives me nightmares.  Why would anyone want to brand themselves?  Isn't it bad enough that we do it to all those poor cows?

My son, from here on to be known as "Eamon", because that is , after all, his name, is a techno geek.  He is the Picasso of amateur video production.  So, why not utilize yet another on-line venue to promote my business which no one will ever see along with everything else I do that no one ever sees?  Because it would be a hoot, that's why.  I could publicly embarrass Eamon and the rest of my family without really embarrassing anyone because people would have to be able to find my video, and since I don't know how to make that happen, I figure they're pretty darn safe.  Insert big sigh here.

So, the moral of the story is, like the rest of you micro business owners, I will keep plugging along, learning what I can as I go, trying to stay afloat in this booming economy we got going on here.  I will stop taking things so seriously, because in the big scheme of things, none of it matters.  Unless I get hit by a bus, which would have to leave Route 104 at a fantastically high rate of speed, slam into and run over the giant tree in front of the cars in the driveway, run over said cars, barrel right through the humongous posts supporting our post and beam house, take a left down the hallway, and finally smack the ever lovin' crap right outta me as I sit in my office typing this blog.  I'm not too worried.

Keep your nose to the grindstone, fellow crafters and business owners, and if that hurts to much, then just have fun.  It's what I'm going to do from here on out.  Anyhoo, gotta run. I think I hear someone coming down the driveway.

Happy SEOing,

Kathy
http://nnlamps.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Natures-Nurture-Lamps/173645422688422

And Time is Still Marching On

The last time I posted was before my grandson, Greyson, affectionately known as G-Man, was born. Way back in October of last year. And here we are, some three and a half months down the road, and my little baby boy has already lost that newborn look. Ok, I realize he is not actually my baby boy. I understand that I must share him with his mothers. Intellectually, I get that. But my heart does not want to share. My heart wants to hog him, my arms want to squeeze him, my fingers want to pinch his chubby cheeks. I want to butt my big nose in where it's not needed and pick him up at the first sign of distress. Then, alas, when I do pick him up, thinking I can cure all his ills, he just keeps screaming. Until, that is, that I hand him to my daughter or daughter-in-law, at which point, his cries are instantly quieted. It dawns on me that these two remarkable young women have all the maternal instincts I was absolutely positive only I had. Oh, sure, they might ask me things like what kind of diaper rash ointment I would use, but when it comes to the stuff that's truly important, they have it figured out. Because that's what good parents do. They figure it out.

I find myself to be so distracted by life in general that it is very hard for me to be creative. I have been working on two lamps that are entirely different than anything that I have ever attempted, and it seems that absolutely nothing satisfies me. So I take them apart and start over, but I'm just spinning my wheels. Some of my distractions are good, like when my thoughts wander to G-Man and I realize it's time for a visit or I will go into G-Man withdrawal. But there are so many other distractions, ones that actually affect my life right now, and ones that I fear will affect my life in the near future. Like money. Or lack there of. Like the upcoming election. Like Iran and Syria. Or my eldest daughter, who is still trying to get the VA to cover her medical needs. Or my bowling average. Or the fact that my husband got a sports car to celebrate his mid life crisis and I got a treadmill. Really? Seriously?

The only thing that I have made a decision on this week is that I am going to get serious about my business and my life. And I'm going to do that by lightening my ass right the hell up. I am taking things waaaaay too seriously, and it needs to stop. Because, if the truth be known, the sun will rise if I only bowl a 500 series. The earth will continue so rotate on its axis (or whatever is rotates on) if I fall off my treadmill because I am so inept as using it. Let's face it, that 2 inch layer of dust didn't accumulate because of over usage.

So, I urge you all to keep things in perspective as you're putting $80.00 into you gas tanks to watch the gauge go all the way up to the half full mark. Yee haa. In reality, while it may be a pain in the ass and in the wallet, it's not what is important. What's in that photo at the top of the page is what's important.

Hoping for inspiration,

Kathy
http://nnlamps.com